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There are plenty of iPhone apps out there to entertain, organize and give us the best in technology, but most of the good ones will cost you something, even if it’s only a few dollars. Considering that there are thousands of iPhone apps available, those few dollars can really add up, yet you want to get the best capabilities out of your phone. The truth is, however, that there are many iPhone apps that are completely free. They might not download your entire music library, but they might help you find where you are going or better organize your brain clutter. Check out these useful apps that come free for the asking.

Flashlight – Flashlights are always useful, and this iPhone app turns your phone into one. It sends off bright illuminating colors to make it easier going down a dark stairwell, rooting through your car for that laundry money, or just checking out a map in the dark. Keep a light on that’s actually your cell phone. It’s one of the free iPhone apps that are actually worth keeping around.

iBear Timer – Keep track of the exact time that’s elapsed after an important event, or keep tabs on how long you’ve got until a big event happens, right down to the second. This iPhone app is great for planning, but it also makes a nice conversation piece to know how long you’ve got until that luxury cruise. Useful as well as fun, this is one of those iPhone apps that make time keeping a little easier.

If Found Please – iPhones can get lost. This one helps you find it again. Simple but useful, this iPhone app includes customized information on your wallpaper so someone can tell you your phone’s whereabouts if you lose it. The app even works when your phone is locked.

Lotto Shake – Love playing the Lotto but run out of combination’s? This iPhone app gives you random number combination’s if you shake it like a pair of luck dice. It’s great for the Daily Play, Euro Millions, the UK Lotto or Thunderball. If you win thanks to your iPhone, you might need to take it out to dinner as a show of thanks. IPhone apps love to feel like they are appreciated.

It’s hard to believe that only a year after the iPhone app store opened its doors on the web that nearly 60,000 iPhone apps have been created. Some serve important purposes. Others aren’t worth the battery juice they’ll sap.

While not all iPhone apps are worth mention, here are a few that will improve your world.

1. Hey Where Are You? While nobody likes to have everyone knowing what they’re doing all times, this iPhone app helps you get connected to important people like family and friends to let them know what you are doing. Asking and answering the question, “Hey, where are you?” users can keep each other up to date on their comings and goings. It’s a lot easier to get the crowd out to happy hour if they know you are already there? Like many of the iPhone apps available, this one helps you stay connected.

2. Print and Share. Most printing intents end up as pipe dreams. Sure, I’ll get you that photo of us at the beach, as soon as I get home, power up the computer, find the photo in billions of computer files, hit print and then actually remember to do all that instead of falling asleep watching Leave It to Beaver reruns like I always do. The best intentions usually end up shelved unless we act right away. With the Print and Share, your iPhone is connected right to your printer. Have it start printing before you even get home. It takes a few steps out of the procrastination process, delivering results even before you make it back to your pad. It’s one of the better iPhone apps available.

3. Read it later. Often, the most interesting material on the Internet is stumbled across while you’re in the middle of something. That’s why the Internet can be so distracting. You find a million things you need to read now simply because there’s no guarantee you’ll find it again. Like many iPhone apps that put the world of information at our fingertips, Read it Later helps you to save pages to your iPhone for reading at more convenient times. Read that business article when you have down time on the bus or are stuck at the DMV with finger twiddling time on your hands.

Stan Kermin writes blogs about the many iPhone apps that are changing the world. Read his blog in order to get the most out of your iPhone.

Football season is here and iPhone gamers are scouring the App Store for the best NFL video games available for their device. Three of the best apps in this genre are included in our round this week. The titles which made the cut are EA’s Madden 10, Gameloft’s NFL2010, and Chillingo’s Super Shock Football.

For the past 20 years, Madden has been the king of football games. It is now available in the App Store by game production house EA. iPhone and iPod touch gamers now face a dilemma as to choose between Madden 10 and the earlier released NFL2010 by Gameloft.

From a visual standpoint, Madden delivers, but not exactly with the precision we had hoped for. Everything looks a bit old-school like the graphics of consoles of days gone by. Yet, for the iPhone they look standard. You’ll quickly recognize that the original John Madden comments and helmet-to-helmet crash audio effects are all included in this iPhone version of the game. If you don’t like the included music tracks, you can play your own selection from your iPod library. All the controls in Madden 10 work great and a variety of options are available on demand.

Hopefully, we the game will obtain multiplayer and roster updates as the title gets successive updates in the App Store. Where it stands today, Madden 10 offers tons of replay ability. Don’t forget, this is a Madden football title. Gamers will be playing this feverously until the next Madden title is unleashed. Comparing it to NFL2010, it’s a close draw as both offer a slightly different experience. If you like, you may choose to buy both and determine which options you like the best. Madden appears in the App Store at a $9.99 price point. We believe it will remain there for the rest of the season. We give Madden 10 a 4-Star rating that puts it neck and neck with NFL2010.

NFL 2010, the first full-featured football game specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch, was released earlier than expected by Gameloft. With a graphic style similar to Madden, it is hard not to compare NFL 2010 to the king of all that is football. Fortunately for mobile gamers, NFL 2010 holds up quite well.

We really were shocked by the stunning visuals in NFL2020. Madden 10 better watch our as this smaller competitor is racking up to be a huge success. All the audio sounds are pleasing. Controls are well honed and respond appropriately to our commands. Some functionality does feel absent as the plays come off as preplanned. We felt like we just set them up and then watch them unfold in front of us. However, we did like the Kicking plays as we felt these offered the most control with aiming and power. This was probably our favorite aspect of the gameplay.

For what it’s worth, NFL 2010 looks great and plays well for a first effort. We expect to play this one for some time. While a little pricey at $7.99, it seems downright cheap when you consider that any similar console version will likely start around $50. NFL 2010 is a solid 4-Dimple touchdown celebration of a game.

Chillingo has taken a different approach with Super Shock Football by basing it on the electric football gaming style. It won’t replace Madden 10 or NFL2010, but it does present some coolness with vibrating players and other additions that justify it as a worthy contender.

Graphically, the game looks terrific, with 2D men darting around in a 3D world. The view shifts back and forth between top down for setup and on field for close ups of the action during plays. Sounds are great, with the soft hum of vibrating players in the background and football sound effects (like crowd noise, whistles, etc.) in the foreground. Controls are simple touches and can be accomplished with a single finger. Game information (scores, time remaining, etc.) are in tiny print along the screen bottom. While these are a bit difficult to read, they won’t detract from the overall gameplay. Several options exist, including quarter length (up to 15 minutes each) and number of men per side (as many as 11, but you can play with far fewer).

Clearly, there are other games available for a more authentic football experience, but Super Shock Football is in a league of its own for nostalgia and humorous gameplay. If you don’t take this game too seriously, it is an absolute blast. Replay value is very high, as anything can happen and the eventual outcomes are so random that no two games will be anywhere close to the same. Chillingo has priced Super Shock Football at $1.99 for a limited time, a very fair price for an enjoyable experience. Super Shock Football is worthy of a 5-Dimple touchdown dance.

We can’t believe how far iPhone and iPod touch gaming have come in just a little over a year. When we decided to take a look at these NFL video games for review, we were surprised at how well they all performed. With Madden 10, NFL2010, and Super Shock Football, players clearly have some of the best apps to get their football fix.

Want to find out more about iPhone app reviews, then visit Eric Meister’s site on how to choose the best iPhone apps for your needs.